Who Is Sofia?

By Land Wilson, Author of Sofia's Dream

What would keep someone friends for an entire lifetime? What makes a friendship survive the events and life changes that often end friendships? I am someone with a lifelong friend. Over the years, people have asked, “How have you and Sandro stayed friends since age two?” I never had a clear answer until I started a memoir.

In a nutshell, Sandro Rossini and I have been excited by the same things. Plato said, "Friends have all things in common." As toddlers, our interests matched beautifully. We liked building blocks, Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, and anything Fisher Price as long as it had those little plastic people with round heads, colorful bodies, and smiley faces. As kids, we loved Hot Wheels, Water Rockets, Big Wheels and GI JOEs with Kung-Fu Grip. In middle school, dirt bikes, roller-skating, and disco became our “everything”, along with feathered hair and bell bottoms. 

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We also developed a keen desire to be young entrepreneurs. We saw real estate in our futures, so we prepared ourselves by investing in comic books and coins. We even launched our own escargot business out of my backyard clubhouse. Sadly, our hopes for riches selling them to local restaurants were thwarted by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa - an intestinal bacteria that spreads rapidly when populations are too dense.

Our interests came and went, but one that never went was girls. The lengths we would go to woo the girls of our affections make for two decades worth of funny stories. Fast-forward through our teens and twenties and our greatest thing in common would become the journey of starting our own families.

So who is Sofia? Thanks to the foresight of Little Pickle Press, a branding agency was engaged to fine-tune the title of my manuscript. Sofia’s Dream was chosen. I was pleased because “dream” is a powerful word and “Sofia” means wisdom in Greek. Being a top choice in baby names and universally recognized was a bonus. Ironically, Sandro’s daughter (now my daughter’s best friend) is also Sofia. 

Over the last seven years, I have done a lot of childcare for Sofia Rossini especially when her mother was suffering from a lengthy bout of morning sickness during her 2^nd pregnancy. I am proud to say that there are two little Sofias in my life and both feel like family.

Having a lifelong friend has been a blessing, but not always rosy. Sandro and I have had our share of squabbles, but we have always come back to our friendship and our common interests. I don’t think having a lot in common is needed to have a lifelong friend, but it gives more reasons for spending time together. 

Who was it that said, “Those who play together stay together?”

Readers, if you have a lifelong friend, tell us about them in the comments. How long have you known them? What keeps your friendship together?

We also have a special promotion this month offering 25% off your entire purchase if you buy a Little Pickle Press book for a friend. Click here to see our entire selection of award-winning titles including Sofia's Dream. Then use coupon code LPPFriend12 at checkout.